► Taking advantage of the equipment used in the "Remote Nursing" project, nurses can watch patients' status remotely. The equipment, which is installed in the…
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▼ Taking advantage of the equipment used in the "Remote Nursing" project, nurses can watch patients' status remotely. The equipment, which is installed in the patient's ward or home, can monitor them and their environment. This project demonstrates this using a microcontroller system that interfaces to a video camera and temperature and humidity sensors in the room. Also a servomotor is installed to control the position of the camera. The microcontroller communicates wirelessly with a PC.
This project is focused on hardware rather than software. It is to test the video camera and sensors being used over the microcontroller through the wireless module. The sensors are controlled by drivers and graphical interfaces that come with the hardware or are freely available online.
Advisors/Committee Members: Dr. Walt Thain, Dr. Ted Grosch, Dr. Thomas Fallon.

► Amphetamines are frequently prescribed to young children for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Due to the recent rise in ADHD diagnoses and the resulting…
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▼ Amphetamines are frequently prescribed to young children for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Due to the recent rise in ADHD diagnoses and the resulting increase in amphetamine intake in children, we investigated how amphetamine exposure impacts the development of stereotyped behaviors and the neural circuit that governs these behaviors. The zebrafish (Danio rerio) was used as our model organism because of the extensively studied developmental milestones these fish provide. Using escape responses as a behavior model, we exposed embryos to three doses of amphetamine (10 μg/ml, 20 μg/ml, and 30 μg/ml) environmentally during the first 48 hours of development and used high-speed videography to identify escape behavior deficits at two time points. All doses of amphetamine exposed embryos took significantly longer to complete escape behaviors compared to controls at both time points and also displayed an increase in spastic behaviors. Also, amphetamine treated fish took significantly longer to emerge from their surrounding chorions compared to controls, which suggests developmental delays. Amphetamine fish exhibited morphological abnormalities that included tail underdevelopment, lordosis, and significantly shorter body lengths. Underlying interneural deficits are further supported with fluorescent antibody staining in the spinal cord, where inhibitory expression was significantly higher in the high amphetamine dose compared to controls. This study using 24 and 48 hpf zebrafish offers a novel perspective on early amphetamine exposure during peak developmental times. Furthermore, the combination of delayed stereotyped behaviors and morphological irregularities in this study helps provide insight to the existing literature on development and early amphetamine exposure.
Advisors/Committee Members: Dr. Thomas McElroy, Dr. Troy Mutchler.

Bullard, J. D. (2016). The Effects of Amphetamine Exposure on Neurodevelopment and Behavior in Early Life Stages of Danio Rerio. (Thesis). Kennesaw State University. Retrieved from https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/integrbiol_etd/11

Note: this citation may be lacking information needed for this citation format:Not specified: Masters Thesis or Doctoral Dissertation

Chicago Manual of Style (16th Edition):

Bullard, Jennifer D. “The Effects of Amphetamine Exposure on Neurodevelopment and Behavior in Early Life Stages of Danio Rerio.” 2016. Thesis, Kennesaw State University. Accessed January 21, 2019.
https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/integrbiol_etd/11.

Note: this citation may be lacking information needed for this citation format:Not specified: Masters Thesis or Doctoral Dissertation

Bullard JD. The Effects of Amphetamine Exposure on Neurodevelopment and Behavior in Early Life Stages of Danio Rerio. [Internet] [Thesis]. Kennesaw State University; 2016. [cited 2019 Jan 21].
Available from: https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/integrbiol_etd/11.

Note: this citation may be lacking information needed for this citation format:Not specified: Masters Thesis or Doctoral Dissertation

Council of Science Editors:

Bullard JD. The Effects of Amphetamine Exposure on Neurodevelopment and Behavior in Early Life Stages of Danio Rerio. [Thesis]. Kennesaw State University; 2016. Available from: https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/integrbiol_etd/11

Note: this citation may be lacking information needed for this citation format:Not specified: Masters Thesis or Doctoral Dissertation

Kennesaw State University

3.
Kleidysz-Ferreira, Camille.
Secrets on Morgan Hill: A Story of an Unlikely Friendship Amid an Apartheid South.

► Introduction The Burden of History and Fiction “How much of the burden of history can fiction bear?” – Margaret Walker Comprehensive historical research can…
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▼ Introduction
The Burden of History and Fiction
“How much of the burden of history can fiction bear?” – Margaret Walker
Comprehensive historical research can often become the inspiration for art. The greatest pieces of historical fiction, are a result of years of historic scholarship before the creation of a compelling historical narrative or fiction piece. Through my two-year ethnographic study and collection of oral histories of the black community, surrounding the historic Bethel A.M.E. church in Acworth, Georgia, I was told a story about a friendship between two little girls who remained friends until the end of their lives. What I found unique and inspirational about the story was that it was about two girls from different races who developed an unbending alliance amid the tensions of an apartheid South.
Interracial friendships were complex and often layered with tensions surrounding race relations during the Jim Crow era. Despite the constrictions of legalized segregation in the region, black and white residents interacted in ways that defined Southern culture and influenced the identity of some black people in the South. There is the national narrative about the history of race relations in the South that is easier for the public to comprehend and grasp, but ignores the reality of long-term friendships between black and white people like the story told to me by Abbie Parks, a white historical preservationist, and activist in Acworth, Georgia.
Stories about interracial friendships outside of the stereotypical expectations of both black and white people are typically the untold stories, and maybe included in the local narratives, but become silenced in the national narratives regarding race relations in the segregated South. The friendship between the girls living in Acworth, Georgia as told to me by Abbie Parks lasted from the 1930s to the late 1970s amidst social change that significantly impacted the everyday lives and perspectives of everyone in the South, like the story I heard from Parks about a thriving friendship of two little girls in Acworth. I propose to write a short historical fiction piece that explores and illustrates the universal themes of mutual acceptance and loyalty that is often at the core of any meaningful friendship that last over five decades. However, the unique journey of their friendship within a racially divided South will also explore the themes of friendships amid segregation, the development of a Black cultural identity with ties to Southern landscapes, the dynamics of systematic lynching in a small rural community, and the transformation of the Old South to the New South. The little girls in my fiction, like in the story that was told to me, will transition to grown women, experiencing the societal shifts of a changing South, and coping with the painful secrets that…
Advisors/Committee Members: Dr. Scott, Dr. Thomas, Dr. Hill.

Kleidysz-Ferreira, C. (2017). Secrets on Morgan Hill: A Story of an Unlikely Friendship Amid an Apartheid South. (Thesis). Kennesaw State University. Retrieved from https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/mast_etd/10

Note: this citation may be lacking information needed for this citation format:Not specified: Masters Thesis or Doctoral Dissertation

Chicago Manual of Style (16th Edition):

Kleidysz-Ferreira, Camille. “Secrets on Morgan Hill: A Story of an Unlikely Friendship Amid an Apartheid South.” 2017. Thesis, Kennesaw State University. Accessed January 21, 2019.
https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/mast_etd/10.

Note: this citation may be lacking information needed for this citation format:Not specified: Masters Thesis or Doctoral Dissertation

Note: this citation may be lacking information needed for this citation format:Not specified: Masters Thesis or Doctoral Dissertation

Council of Science Editors:

Kleidysz-Ferreira C. Secrets on Morgan Hill: A Story of an Unlikely Friendship Amid an Apartheid South. [Thesis]. Kennesaw State University; 2017. Available from: https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/mast_etd/10

Note: this citation may be lacking information needed for this citation format:Not specified: Masters Thesis or Doctoral Dissertation

► This study extends international market selection (IMS) literature by using institutional theory to develop conceptual links between country level factors of market attractiveness and…
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▼ This study extends international market selection (IMS) literature by using institutional theory to develop conceptual links between country level factors of market attractiveness and IMS. More specifically, this study examines the extent to which institutional theory and cross national differences can predict attractive markets for direct selling. The hypotheses were tested over a sample of 51 countries from developed, developing, and emerging economies that comprise 91 percent of the worldwide GDP. The use of a marketing channel, in this case direct selling, is unique to IMS empirical analysis as it represents multiple products and services from multiple industries. The analysis provided initial empirical support for the hypotheses. Managerial implications are discussed.
Advisors/Committee Members: Dr. Scott M. Widmier, Dr. Thomas L. Baker, Dr. Brian Rutherford.

► This research proposes and validates the Online Social Presence (OSP) scale and framework as an effective means of addressing the struggle e-tailers have encountered…
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▼ This research proposes and validates the Online Social Presence (OSP) scale and framework as an effective means of addressing the struggle e-tailers have encountered in attempting to create persuasive and effective online retailing experiences, which persuade customers to purchase their products and services. Online Social Presence (OSP) reexamines and extends the original social presence theory to the complex and dynamic e-tailing environment to address research that indicates that the typical online shopping experience lacks warmth and sociability.
A robust mixture of qualitative and quantitative research methods were employed to validate the Online Social Presence (OSP) as containing three reflectively measured first-order constructs (intimacy, immediacy, and authenticity) which formatively create the second-order construct of OSP. The research process included qualitative item generation and qualitative and quantitative item purification procedures. PLS-SEM was employed to validate a twenty-one item validated OSP scale and establish nomological validity of the OSP scale and framework in the context of e-Satisfaction as an established outcome variable.
Advisors/Committee Members: Dr. Joseph F. Hair, Dr. Detmar Straub, Dr. Thomas Baker.

► Contamination of soils with lead (Pb) continues to pose a risk to the health of humans especially in residential urban areas. Remediation of these…
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▼ Contamination of soils with lead (Pb) continues to pose a risk to the health of humans especially in residential urban areas. Remediation of these soils is necessary to reduce the amount of Pb and alleviate risk to human health. Phytoextraction of Pb through chemically induced accumulation of Pb in the harvestable foliage and removal of contaminated plant material has great potential in offering a solution to this environmental problem. The effects of the combined application of a soil fungicide (benomyl), synthetic chelates (ethylenediamineteteraacetic acid, EDTA), and foliar-Fe supplement on lead (Pb) phytoextraction from contaminated soil by switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) was examined. Leadcontaminated (76 mg Pb kg−1) urban topsoil collected from Atlanta was placed in pots (n=32) seeded with switchgrass. Pots were arranged in a completely randomized design with the following treatments: (C) Control, (B) Benomyl, (E) EDTA, (F) Foliar-Fe, (BE) Benomyl + EDTA, (BF) Benomyl + Foliar-Fe (FE) Foliar-Fe + EDTA, (BFE) Benomyl + Foliar-Fe + EDTA. Each treatment was replicated with four pots for each treatment combination and five plants per pot. Chemical treatments were initiated at 82 days after planting (DAP) when leaf tips showed yellowing. On 82 DAP, benomyl (20 mg kg-1 soil) was applied to the soil of plants in treatments B, BE, BF, and BFE. EDTA was added (6.2 mg kg-1 total) in 8 split applications for plants in treatments E, BE, FE, and BFE. On 92 and 96 DAP, EDTA 0.1 mmol kg-1 was applied to the soil of plants in ETDA treatments, and on days 100, 106, 112, 118, 127, and 135 DAP 1 mmol kg-1 was added to plants in EDTA treatments. On 103, 109, and 166 DAP, foliar-Fe (20 mg L-1 Iron (II) Sulfate Heptahydrate) was applied directly in three doses to the above-ground foliage of plants in treatments F, BF, FE, and BFE. Plants were harvested at 155 DAP. Samples from both the shoots and roots were analyzed for element concentration (Fe, Mn, P, Pb, and Zn) using either inductively coupled plasma (argon) atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES) or atomic absorption spectrometer (AA-Spec). Plant growth and soil element data were analyzed for significant differences among individual treatment combination means (Control, B, E, F, BE, BF, FE, and BFE) using one-way ANOVA with Fisher’s Test for Least Significant Difference as a post-hoc test. Additionally, data were analyzed for categorical differences and interaction effects for treatment with benomyl, EDTA, and foliar-Fe using General Linear Model. All statistical analyses were run in Minitab® (version 17.1.0) (Minitab Inc. 2013) with statistical significance accepted at 5% confidence level (α=0.05). Shoot Pb concentration did not vary significantly among treatments. However, increased biomass in the shoots of plants in the EDTA treatment resulted in an increase of total extracted Pb in the shoots: 0.17 mg in plants treated with EDTA. This value was a 24% increase above the Control plants (0.13 mg). Plants treated with EDTA had significantly higher root Pb concentration (117 mg…
Advisors/Committee Members: Dr. Sigurdur Greipsson, Dr. Thomas McElroy, Dr. Daniel M. Deocampo.

► The purpose of this study was to investigate how participation in a sustained professional development, the Math Science Partnership, improves teacher self-efficacy in science…
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▼ The purpose of this study was to investigate how participation in a sustained professional development, the Math Science Partnership, improves teacher self-efficacy in science instruction and how it motivates teachers to incorporate elements of the training into their classroom instructional practices. This study considered the perspectives of forty-nine practicing elementary teachers as they participated in a sustained professional development over a two year period. This research study was intended to identify the most successful elements of the sustained professional development and their relationship to teacher self-efficacy in science.
The research design for this study was a case study. While case studies are considered qualitative research, this collective case study utilized a mixed methods research design by including a quantitative component, the Science Teaching Efficacy Belief Instrument or STEBI. Data collection was achieved by a variety of methods and instruments over the course of two years. Data sources included focus groups, observations, questionnaires, and pre-/post-STEBI results.
The study showed that participation in the MSP had a direct impact on daily classroom science instruction. The study results indicated that the MSP professional development program was effective in improving teacher self-efficacy in science, as scores on the STEBI increased at statistically significant rates over the course of the two years. A more detailed analysis of these results found that the STEBI questions with the highest gains were focused on improvements in science content and pedagogical knowledge. Qualitative data from participant questionnaires, focus groups, and observations supported the STEBI findings about improved teacher content and pedagogical knowledge in science. In addition to the themes of improved teacher content and pedagogical knowledge in science, three other themes clearly stood out in the experiences of each participant. These were (a) increased access to materials and resources, (b) benefits of collaboration with peers, (c) improved self-efficacy in science. These elements, content with pedagogy, access to materials, and inclusion in a community of learners collectively contributed to an increase in participant self-efficacy in science instruction.
These findings inform the educational literature bases as well as professional development providers and science leaders about the types of support and resources that practicing teachers require.
Advisors/Committee Members: Dr. Mark Warner, Dr. Thomas Brown, Dr. Charlease Kelly-Jackson.

Creel, S. M. (2013). Effects of a Sustained Federally Funded Science Professional Development Program on Elementary Teachers Who Teach Science. (Thesis). Kennesaw State University. Retrieved from https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/etd/592

Note: this citation may be lacking information needed for this citation format:Not specified: Masters Thesis or Doctoral Dissertation

Chicago Manual of Style (16th Edition):

Creel, Sally Michelle. “Effects of a Sustained Federally Funded Science Professional Development Program on Elementary Teachers Who Teach Science.” 2013. Thesis, Kennesaw State University. Accessed January 21, 2019.
https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/etd/592.

Note: this citation may be lacking information needed for this citation format:Not specified: Masters Thesis or Doctoral Dissertation

Note: this citation may be lacking information needed for this citation format:Not specified: Masters Thesis or Doctoral Dissertation

Council of Science Editors:

Creel SM. Effects of a Sustained Federally Funded Science Professional Development Program on Elementary Teachers Who Teach Science. [Thesis]. Kennesaw State University; 2013. Available from: https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/etd/592

Note: this citation may be lacking information needed for this citation format:Not specified: Masters Thesis or Doctoral Dissertation